Beginning Yoga

I am not a big fan of slow. I move from task to task getting it done quickly, especially if I don't like doing it. Working out is no exception. I like fast paced, something that makes me sweat quickly so I know that it is working me. Finally trying yoga was a challenge for me. A challenge I have wanted to do for quite awhile.

I searched high and low for something that would keep my attention and keep me interested enough to do day after day. Normally within a few minutes of the quiet, deep breaths I'm bored and give up, or I can't stand the voice of the person (yogi) doing the video. Then...



I found Do You Yoga on YouTube. Erin is great, she calls herself Bad Yogi. On her site, she hosts a 30 Day Challenge. Which I am doing, happily.

I didn't know that yoga could hurt! I feel the burn. In my abs, legs, arms, etc. I definitely wasn't expecting it. I love it.

Each day is focusing on something different. The videos are 12-20 minutes long. While the videos are great for fitting in during naptime or early in the morning, I've been doing them with my girls. Yoga has worked for calming down over excited, house bound children. Stretching out some energy.

These workouts are, I think, good for anyone, at any level. I can't do Downward Dog like she does, but she demonstrates other ways to do it, and she does so for most things. Which has been great as a beginner.

I have keep up with this, for the first time ever and feel better for it. I am more rested, my digestive system is working better, I feel better in general. If I haven't done it yet, by about noon, especially if I have spent the morning on the computer, I am really looking forward to that stretching.

I'd love if you'd join me in this challenge. I have shared a few videos of the challenge on Pinterest, I created a new board for it and hope to add more soon, as well as I have shared a few pictures on Instagram... not easy to yoga and take a picture at the same time.

Pollo Asada Rice Bowl

A while back I shared my first couple meals I had prepared from a Wildtree freezer Meals workshop I attended last fall. You can find the Ranch Chicken Chili HERE and the Apple Balsamic Pork Roast HERE.  And I am excited to share another. We made 10 freezer meals total and ate them rather quickly. I was sure that there would be at least a couple that I didn't love, but I soon found out that would not be the case. We loved every single one of the freezer meals we made.

I wasn't sure how this Pollo Asada Rice bowl would go over in my house because Travis does not like rice!

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs


• ½ medium onion


• diced 15 oz can of diced tomatoes


• 15 oz can of black beans, drained & rinsed


• 1 cup frozen corn


• 2 tablespoons Wildtree Spicy Carne Asada Seasoning


• ½ tablespoon lime juice (provided at workshop)


• 1 teaspoon salt


• ¼ cup water

1. Mix all ingredients into freezer bag.


2. Remove air, seal & attach label.


3. Double bag and freeze.

Additional ingredients at cooking time:

• 2 cups uncooked brown rice or quinoa


• 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese


• 1 sliced avocado


• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped (optional)

To prepare:

1. Thaw in fridge.


2. Place contents of bag in crockpot.


3. Cook on low for 8 hours.


4. Near the end of crockpot cooking time, prepare rice/quinoa according to package directions.


5. When making the rice/quinoa, substitute 1 cup of water with 1 cup of liquid from the crockpot.  (This will add flavor to the rice/quinoa.)


6. After 8 hours of cooking, use fork to shred chicken.


7. Serve by placing rice/quinoa on plate then add chicken mixture.


8. Top with shredded cheese, avocado slices & chopped cilantro. Serves 8.

This was another hit with my family! We all loved it and I have made it twice since I originally made it at the freezer meal workshop!

Want to learn more about WildTree? You can check it out HERE and contact my friend Kim with any questions.

5 Fitness Obstacles and How You can Overcome Them

Hi There! I hope you're staying warm! We have solid ice on the ground here, and it is 20 degrees outside....You know it's cold when you're pet Siberian Husky wants to stay inside and nap all day.

By now, the resolutions crowd is slowly starting to dwindle...hey maybe you're one of them. Since I workout at home, I miss the crowded gym rush this time of year.

When I was a health club manager, I would see so many people give up, because they either didn't have the knowledge to set up the process to get to their goals, or they didn't have the time/resources they needed to stay on that route.
I hope that by sharing these tips with you, that I'll spare you some resolution heartache.

Let's review some classic roadblocks, and I'll give you some ideas to get you solutions.



1. I was doing great, but then I stopped seeing results. I give up...Ok. You're bored.Trying to have a fitness regimen that only includes yoga, or only includes running/the treadmill, or only includes heavy lifting sets you up for over training, plateaus, injury, and eventually giving up. Only using one component in your fitness regimen is like trying to eat a steak dinner with only steak. It might tastes good, but your body needs more than just protein to function at its healthiest, Adding diversity to your workouts will improve your performance in your favorite workout, as well as prevent injury. Don't be that person on the treadmill who looks/feels the exact same as they did 6 months ago.

2. I don't have the time. I hear you....but 30 minutes is 1/48 of your day...so really. Busy moms...naptime is your time. My sister-in-law has 8 kids, but she did 2 rounds of 21 Day Fix, and rocked it! If she can find time, then anyone can. If you have kids, make it a family affair. Compete with them on burpees (encourage proper form), time each other, do a workout dvd together. If you have a crazy work life, try a tabata workout on your lunch break. Really, 4 minutes will still let you run errands, and eat, and whatever else you need to do.

3. I have a tight budget. Listen, everyone does....I'm not saying invest in a fully furnished home gym...or go to the fanciest gym, but an exercise ball and set of resistance bands only cost about $30. (Just make sure you know how to use them properly.) Craigslist and second hand stores are great places to find dumbbells, and TJ Maxx and Marshall's usually carry name brand bands and other gear for a fraction of the cost.

4. "I've never worked out before. I don't know how to use exercise equipment/keep a food journal/schedule workouts". Trust me, when I started training, I didn't know anything, but I hired professionals...you wouldn't hire someone who's not a professional performing heart surgery on you would you? In fitness, "I want to do it myself" = "I am afraid to really commit to this." That's why there are certified fitness professionals....pay for a session for a trainer/wellness coach to evaluate your goals and help you determine what steps you should take to get there safely. Don't be afraid to learn something new. AceFitness.org has an online exercise library with tutorials for every exercise out there.

5. "I just can't figure out where I'm going wrong." Keep a workout/nutrition journal...if something is derailing your efforts, then I promise it will show up in your records. You don't want to obsess, and it's good for you to relax or have a treat now and then, but now and then doesn't mean every day....LOL It happens to all of us. Pick up where you left off. Once again, accountability is key. It's easier to drop off the radar if you don't have encouragement in some shape or form.

Remember, we've all been there. Getting healthy is like any other investment - what you invest is equal to the return you will make. What are your goals? What are some solutions you've had to create to stay headed in the right direction? What are some obstacle you've faced. Keep hanging in there! And feel free to reach out to me. I'd love to help you!

Quick and Easy Caramel Corn

You guys, guess what today is??? If you said "It's your Birthday" then you'd be right! 32 years old today! I'm not sure where the time has gone, because I don't feel a day over 21. Well, actually, the other day I hurt my back when I picked Tyler up to put him in the grocery cart, and that made me feel pretty old. But mostly I don't feel a day over 21!

Anyway, who cares about age- Let's talk about Caramel Corn!



I wanted to try this caramel corn because it is so quick and easy and within minutes you are eating delicious caramel corn.

• 1 bag popped popcorn


• ½ cup butter


• 1 cup brown sugar


• 1 Tbsp light corn syrup


• 20 Large Marshmallows

1. Pop your popcorn and remove any un-popped kernels


2. Melt butter in medium size sauce pan


3. Mix in brown sugar and corn syrup and stir until combined


4. Add marshmallows and stir until melted over low heat


5. Pour over popcorn and mix well


6. Enjoy!

So easy, Right? So now you can make some amazing popcorn for your Valentine!

Happy Friday, everyone! Have a great weekend!

Bedroom makeover

When we moved into our house in late 2010 it was brand new, white walls and a blank slate. But anyone who knows me knows that I can always use a little help in the decorating department. That is one of the reasons I've never done much decorating for our master bedroom. We've spent so much time working on other things, and raising babies that it's been on the backburner for a long time. Last Spring I decided it was finally time. I went to Home Depot and found the perfect paint samples. I knew I wanted something very simple and neutral but I didn't want bright white anymore.

Here is a quick before picture:


I know, it's a disaster!

And you should have seen the hideous curtains I put up when we first moved in!

And after:







Before all our junk got added to the top of the dresser again! This summer we are going to hide the tv cords behind the wall so they aren't just hanging around!



The chevron picture is a magnetic board, though I haven't used it for anything. It is from Hobby Lobby.



I found THIS picture on Pinterest forever ago and have had it saved because I wanted it in our room. I used a frame I already had, painted the frame and painted the glass too! Then I used a pencil to draw on the lines before I painted them. I also used a pencil to draw on the letters first so I didn't mess them up. Then I went over the pencil with a black paint pen.



These are part of our family pictures we had taken in September. I bought the canvas and had the pictures printed. Stay tuned for more on DIY canvas pictures.



The "I love Us" is a printable from HERE, and as you can see, it's a bit orangey. I thought it was going to be more yellow but didn't want to take the time to have it reprinted. I used THIS picture as inspiration for my "happy place" picture then I made it in PicMonkey. I printed it as an 8x10 and used Mod Podge to attach it to the painted 11x14 canvas. And the "I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart" I made on PicMonkey and had printed as an 11x14 print.



I painted the window wall one color and the rest of the walls another color. I bought new sheets (jersey knit, and I'll never buy them again!) new duvet cover and pillow cases, I made the two rectangle toss pillows and the pillow case for the square pillow.

I painted all of the picture frames -they were all frames I already had. I made my headboard, and got a new lamp shade. I made everything ahead of time so that after I painted the room and it dried, everything else was ready for me to throw together. And luckily it went together pretty fast.



I know the walls don't really look that different, but they really are. I thought both of these colors were going to be darker once they were on the wall, but as you can see, they're not! Actually, at first glance the walls don't even look painted. These are Behr and the Gray Ashlar was used for the window wall and the Tailor's Chalk was used for the rest of the walls. And we left the ceiling white.

So what do you think of my makeover? Much better than before, and not bad for someone who can't decorate to save their life, right?

Why kids should use social networking sites ::from a 12 year olds perspective::

My 12 year old son recently had to write a paper in English regarding social media. Of course he chose to write about why kids should be allowed to use social networking sites and the positives of sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I have to say that I thought he did a pretty good job, I know I'm a bit partial, but I wanted to share. So take it over Zachary!



Do you want your child to get a good education? Then I suggest social networking, it will help your child in a number of aspects. Let's talk about what kids an do, how it encourages interaction and what you should be aware of.

The Things you an do are multiplying by the millions. When you are on Instagram you an post pictures of you and your friends. On Twitter, you can tweet hashtags to games you and your friends like. Next, you can share your everyday life on Facebook. Social media networking can also give you a way to get your voice heard.

"Almost three-fourths of 7th through 12th graders have at least one social media profile, according to a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation." While it is discouraged to befriend strangers, it's a great way to meet and learn more about classmates.  Another way is news travels fast- After hearing about a new story it's common to pass along the news, keeping you engaged with friends.

What you should be aware of regarding social media includes, the people who make fake profiles. Sharing too much information such as; your address, phone number or even when you are out of town. You should also be aware of cyber bullying, because some people feel more powerful behind the keyboard.

In conclusion, I hope that I have persuaded you enough and helped you understand with my examples. With all of the things you can do on there, you should be buy all of the time. The way it encourages interaction, the friend conversations never stop. But be sure that you are aware of all the bad people that are out there. Following these steps should make a positive experience for everyone.

So now you've heard about social media from a 12 year old perspective, what do you think about social media for kids? Do you let your kids have accounts? Why or why not?

Top 10 Fonts

Who doesn't love fun fonts? Especially when they're FREE! The scrapbooker in my really does! Even though I haven't worked on a scrapbook in probably a couple of years, I was always looking for fun fonts, and still to this day when I come across one that I love I add it to one of my scrapbook Pinterest boards!

What I want for Christmas

PeanutButter Smoothies

Drawing with markers

East Coast Stationary

Frosting for Breakfast

The Only Exception

KG Somebody that I used to know

KG Skinny Latte

Chocolate Covered Raindrops

Upstairs at the Abbey

What do you think of these? Pretty awesome, right? Make sure you click the links above to get to the download of the fonts! And be kind and follow the guidelines for each font!

Spicy Corn Dip

This past weekend I made this amazing Spicy Corn Dip for our Super Bowl party. It's not the first time I've made it for a party, and it won't be the last! It is one of the first things to disappear because it is so amazingly delicious! You could eat it with many different things, any sort of chips, or crackers, however! But I love to eat it with plain ruffles. I'm just a sucker for salty chips and dip!

• 4 ounces softened cream cheese


• 1/2 cup sour cream


• 1 can corn


• 1 can diced green chilies


• 1 green onion finely chopped


• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese


• 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt


• dash of cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.


2. Mix cream cheese and sour cream in a bowl.


3. Mix in all other ingredients until combined.


4. Scoop into baking dish, and bake for 20 minutes.

I love it because it's just spicy enough to give it a bite but the kids can still eat it. Plus, since it has corn and chilies you are basically eating a vegetable tray, right??

Love Day Whoopie Pies

Raise your hand if you DON'T love Whoopie Pies?  Since I don't see any hands, I'll continue.

A couple of years ago I wanted a Whoopie Pie and I ended up making these Oatmeal cream pies instead. I had never actually made Whoopie Pies, but I really wanted to give it a try.



Recently I got a pan and recipe book given to me and I knew that these were going to be the first ones I tried.



There are definitely a few steps to making these, but they are pretty straight forward and easy.

Pies:

• 1 and 3/4 C. all purpose flour


• 1 tsp baking soda


• pinch of salt


• 1/2 butter, softened


• 3/4 C. Superfine sugar


• 1 large egg


• 1 tsp vanilla extract


• 2/3 C. Buttermilk


• 1/4 tsp red liquid food coloring (I would use a little less next time!)


• 2 Tbsp pink heart shaped sprinkles

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.


2. If you are using a cookie sheet, line with parchment. (I used an actual "whoopie pie" pan)


3. Mix together flour, baking soda and salt.


4. In a separate bowl, mix together butter and sugar until fluffy.


5. Beat in the egg and vanilla followed by half of the flour mixture.


6. Then add buttermilk and food coloring.


7. Stir in the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined.


8. Spoon 28 mounds of the mixture onto the cookie sheets leaving space because they will spread!


9. Bake for about 9-11 minutes. (Mine were closer to the 9 minute mark) Let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Next, for the Vanilla Buttercream Filling:

• 1/2 C. plus 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened


• 1 tsp vanilla extract


• 4 tbsp. heavy cream


• 2 1/2 C confectioners sugar

1. Mix the butter and vanilla in a bowl for 2-3 minutes until creamy.


2. Mix in the cream, and then gradually add the confectioners sugar and continue mixing for 2 additional minutes.

For the icing:

• 1 and 1/4 C confectioners sugar


• 1-2 Tbsp warm water


• a few drops of red liquid food coloring

1. Sift the confectioners sugar into a bowl and stir in the water to make a smooth icing.


2. Beat in a couple drops of food coloring to make the pink icing.

To assemble: Spread buttercream onto the flat sides of cooled cakes then add tops.  Spoon icing over cake tops and decorate with sprinkles.  Enjoy!



 

Get the MAX out of TAX Time w/ Walmart Best Plans

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MaxYourTax #CollectiveBias

It's tax time and while a lot of people dread it and everything that goes into it, there are a lot of people looking forward to a refund! (I know I do!!)

So what are you doing with your refund? Paying bills? Taking a trip? House projects? Walmart Best Plans?

Turbo Tax |H&R Block Tax Prep

NotePad | Pinterest | The Home Depot

The Necessary:



And the fun:



I'm definitely fortunate that my husband is a great money manager, because I wasn't always so great. But luckily our only debt is our house and a car. So I always look forward to putting tax money into new projects around the house. (Like last year when we finished our last down stairs bedroom!) Or towards a vacation. Hawaii is booked and we are ready to go in a few short months!

Another great thing at during tax time is getting a new phone! I headed to Walmart and picked up a new ZTE ZMAX! They have a newly priced Unlimited Talk, Text and Data/Web and the great price of 29.88 per month (for the first line). It includes up to 500 MB of 4G LTE data.



LTE, in case you are like me and didn't know, is for Long-Term Evolution, commonly referred to as 4G LTE. It is a standard for wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals. (Thanks Wikipedia for that definition!)

One thing I love about Walmart Family Mobile is that you are not locked into a contract like you are with other companies. I especially like that since I have a tween with a phone. Knowing that I can just cancel it at anytime makes me feel better about having it.



Walmart Family Mobile has the Lowest Priced Unlimited Plans and great phones to boot. Like the ZTE Zinger - $19.84 (was $39.88), at these prices you can get a new phone for everyone in the family!

 Now I've shared what I'm doing with my tax return, what are you doing with yours?

Purex Power Shot {Giveaway}

I frequently talk about chores around here because with a family of five someone I always doing a chore, creating a mess which turns into a chore or I'm looking for ways to do less chores!

One of the chores that keeps me the busiest (besides picking up toys) is laundry. It's one of those never ending chores. I might actually finish and have everything washed, dried, folded and put away, but there will always be more tomorrow. And because it's never going away, I might as well use laundry detergent that smells good and more importantly- works good!



Recently I was send a bottle of Purex Power Shot to try, review and giveaway some coupons for you to get your own bottle.



Flip. Dose. Done! - pic





I had to read the instructions a couple of times, I'll admit, because it seemed too easy. But it simply is an easy measure liquid detergent! You open the cap, flip the no spill detergent bottle back upright- And you're done! The bottle refills automatically for your next load!

I know it doesn't look like a lot of detergent, but it's super concentrated and one cap will do one load. If it is a heavily soiled load you can sure do a second cap full!

You'll also find Purex Power Shot in two amazing fragrances, Mountain Breeze (which I tried) and Linen & Lilies. Now go enter below to win your own bottle!

a Rafflecopter giveaway